Top in allergy/asthma: Skin tape strip tests; peanut oral food challenge

The use of a skin tape strip at age 2 months can identify infants who are at risk for developing food allergy, according to a recent study.

“Skin tape analyses give us a more precise quantitation of which lipids and cytokines are present in the skin, and certain combinations of lipids and cytokines increase the odds ratio to more than 100 of developing food allergy,” Donald Y.M. Leung, MD, PhD, division head of pediatric allergy and clinical immunology at National Jewish Health in Denver, told Healio.

It was the top story in allergy/asthma last week.

In another top story, researchers found a correlation between greater baseline transepidermal water loss and more severe reactions during oral food challenges for peanut allergy.

Despite the risk for anaphylaxis, oral food challenges remain the gold standard for diagnosing food allergies, which is why “finding ways in which oral food challenges can become more accessible and more easily done is vital,” George E. Freigeh, MD, a senior allergy fellow at the University of Michigan, said during a presentation.

Read these and more top stories in allergy/asthma below:

Skin tape strip tests at age 2 months indicate later risks for food allergy

The use of a noninvasive skin tape strip at age 2 months can identify infants who are at risk for developing food allergy later, according to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Read more.

Transepidermal water loss predicts reaction severity in peanut oral food challenge

Baseline transepidermal water loss predicted the severity of reactions during oral food challenges for peanut allergy, according to a poster presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting. Read more.

Fasenra receives FDA approval for asthma treatment in children aged 6 to 11 years

The FDA approved the use of Fasenra for the treatment of severe asthma in children aged 6 to 11 years, AstraZeneca announced in a press release. Read more.

Corticosteroids do not impact growth velocity in children with eosinophilic esophagitis

Swallowed corticosteroid treatment did not impact growth velocity among children with eosinophilic esophagitis, according to a poster presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting. Read more.

Challenges remain in genetic testing for primary immunodeficiencies

Genetic testing has increased the number of patients diagnosed with primary immunodeficiencies, Eveline Wu, MD, MSCR, told Healio during the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting. Read more.